The War Is Over Alternate POVs and Outtakes
by MariahajilE
Summary: The War Is Over told through eyes of other characters.
1. Edward POV

**This is a thank you to EBT who has been asking for an EPOV since she started pre-reading. It's the least I can do for everything she's done for me and TWIO.**

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><p>I'm gonna end up the fuck alone. When all of this shit gets out to Bella, she's gonna leave me. And I'm gonna be left alone.<p>

Because Angela says likes Ben.

Likes.

She loves me. I just… have to remind her of that.

And then she won't leave me.

I know it's a dick move, but what the fuck am I supposed to do?

Bella's going to leave me. She's going to fucking yell and scream and… just fucking beat the shit out of me.

And that'll be Hell.

But maybe it won't be that bad if I have Angela there.

I could love her. Eventually. I guess.

I don't fucking know.

I just don't want to be left alone at the end of this.

I know I fucked up. I made a fucking mistake. I get that, but I don't know what to do here.

What the fuck do I do?

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><p><strong>This will be the first of a few alternate POVs. <strong>**I hope you enjoy them. :)**


	2. Bella POV

**Thanks be to Ms. EBT and Wench TKegl. **

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><p>Charlie's a good dad.<p>

He's a _great_ dad.

He worries that he's not, but he is.

He thinks I didn't notice the overtime he worked before he gave me money for my prom dress.

Or that he's been cleaning up after himself since I started preparing to leave for college in the fall.

Or that he prays when he's alone in his room, asking God to keep me safe and happy every day.

Charlie's taught me so much.

How to tell the difference between a curve ball and a slider.

How to drive a stick.

How to stay calm when I want to panic and scream and throw things.

He taught me to be strong.

So, I know that I can do this.

I know I can be tough and level-headed and stand my ground when all I want to do is lay down and cry.

So I take a deep breath and start grabbing things.

His things.

I throw them into one of my moving boxes.

His beanie.

A hoodie.

The picture of us that sits on my nightstand.

Anything that's his, reminds me of him, or was given to me by him is tossed in.

I won't think about the memories that go with them, how I felt at the time.

When I think I'm about to lose it, I stop and take a breath.

I remember what Angie told me.

What _Angela_ told me.

And I know that I can't be ruled by my heart, by my love for Edward. I have to think about what he's done, what they did.

And I'm just so fucking angry.

I grab the box and leave the house, jumping into my truck.

The entire ride to Edward's, I'm thinking about what I'll say and what he'll say.

And how much this is going to kill me.

All too soon, I'm in his driveway, parking next to Esme's car.

My nerves are frazzled as I take the box and walk up the front steps. My hand shakes as I ring the doorbell, something I haven't done at this house in almost two years.

I hear a clickity-clack and know that it's Esme making her way to the door.

"Hey, sweetie."

_God, I'm going to miss her_.

"Hi, Esme."

She ushers me in and yells for Edward who's in his room.

"What do you have in there?" she asks, smiling.

"Just some of Edward's things."

"Oh?"

She looks confused, and then her face brightens.

"Cleaning your room already? I should've known you'd start doing some packing for school now instead of later," she laughs.

I smile but say nothing.

I want to cry.

I want to cry until I hear something at the top of the stairs and look up to see Edward.

He looks scared as hell.

"Dinner'll be ready in an hour. I'll set a plate for you, hon."

Before I can tell her that I'm not staying, she walks back into the kitchen.

The same kitchen where she talked to me about birth control and taught me how to properly put on mascara and showed me that not all mothers choose their new husband over their daughter.

I set the box down on one of the side tables and look up.

"Backyard," I tell him, keeping my voice level.

"Bella—"

"Now."

I'm having a hard time already keeping my anger in check, and I have to talk to him through gritted teeth.

I make my way through the back doors, head down the porch steps, and into the forest just beyond the Cullens' backyard.

I can hear his footsteps behind me, trying to keep up.

"Bella, stop."

I ignore him and keep walking.

I finally stop when we're just a couple of minutes into the forest. I don't want to delay this, make it harder on myself, but I don't want to be within earshot of anybody outside. I definitely don't want Esme to hear anything.

It's not her fault her son's a cheating asshole.

"Bella, I know—"

"No. You don't get to talk."

The way he's looking at me with his puppy dog eyes does nothing but piss me off even more. I don't know if the look is genuine or just a ploy to keep me from doing what I'm doing.

"We're done."

His face falls.

"I don't want your apologies or excuses."

He gets angry.

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say."

"Bullshit. You don't get to just end this without talking to me first."

"_You_ ended this. Don't act like I'm taking anything away from you. You fucked my best friend for almost a year, Edward. How do you explain that? How do we talk about that?"

He stammers.

"We don't. There's nothing _to_ talk about."

"Bella, I made a fucking mistake. I'm sorry."

"What you are is a liar. You told me, you _promised_ me, that you would love me. You said I was it for you. Christ, Edward. We talked about getting married. What the fuck is that?"

"It was the truth," he says as he walks toward me. "I fucked up. I know that, and I'm sorry. You have to believe me."

"I don't have to do anything," I say. "You did enough."

He's still walking toward me, and it's putting me on edge.

I don't want him near me. I don't want him to touch me.

Because all I can do is picture the two of them together.

"Bella, please," he begs. "Please. I'll do anything. I just need you to listen. Please."

He's close enough now that he can touch me, and I'm praying that he keeps his hands to himself.

"And I said no. There's nothing, absolutely _nothing_, you can say to fix this, Edward. There's no apology in the world that… that's going to fix us."

That realization sets in.

Edward and I are over. We're really over.

And my anger starts to give way to the sadness that I've been swatting away.

"You cheated on me," I say, on the verge of crying. "I can't forgive that."

I can't bring myself to look at him, but I can see him out of the corner of my eye.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I'm… really fucking sorry. I know you hate me. You have every right to. But can we please talk about this?"

"_What_ do you wanna talk about?"

I wipe away the tears I didn't want him to see.

"Why, Edward? Explain that to me, because I thought we were happy. I wanna know why."

He doesn't say anything, so I look up into his eyes. He immediately looks away.

"I don't—I don't know why."

I'm not sure why, but my first reaction is to walk away.

"Bella. Bella, wait."

He runs and stands in front of me, blocking my path.

"I know that's a shit excuse. I'm sorry. I honestly don't know. You didn't do anything. There was nothing wrong. It just… happened."

"It just happened? It just happened repeatedly for almost a year? You don't cheat on your girlfriend with her best friend for almost a year and say it just happened, Edward. That's a fucking cop out. If you don't want to tell me why, fine. It doesn't matter either way."

I'm trying to be strong but saying these words is breaking me. My heart, my soul… He's both of them. He's everything to me, and it feels like I'm dying inside.

"Bella, please," he whispers. "I'll do anything. Tell me what to do to make this right."

He takes my face in his hands.

"Whatever you say, I'll do it."

He tilts my face up and looks me in the eyes.

"I love you."

He leans in, and I can feel his breath on my mouth. He's _so_ close.

Too close.

"No," I say. "No."

I remove his hands from me and take a step back.

"No."

He takes a step forward and puts his arms around me, and for a second, I let him. I let myself feel him. I want to be strong, but I love him.

I love him.

But it's just not enough anymore.

"Let go of me."

I try to move away, but he doesn't loosen his grip.

"Please, Bella. We can work this out."

I shove him, making him stumble backwards, and I start to walk away.

"Don't fucking do this. Don't walk away when we can fix this."

I stop in my tracks and turn around.

And my anger, fury is back.

"I didn't do this. _You_ did this. Don't fucking tell me that _we_ can fix this, because I did nothing wrong."

"You won't let me make this right. You're giving up."

He walks toward me again, and I can see the anger on his face. And all that does is throw me over the edge.

"_You_ gave up the moment you kissed her, you put your dick in her. You don't get to be angry about any of this."

"If you loved me, you'd let us work through this!" he yells.

And the next thing I know, I'm swinging.

My hand automatically makes a fist, and I swing. I hit him in the face, and he staggers back, his hand immediately covering his eye.

My hand is throbbing, and I hold it to my chest, silently cursing at the pain.

I want to hit him again. I want to hit him over and over until he feels as badly as I do. I want him to feel just an ounce of the pain in my heart, my soul.

But I stay where I am.

"I gave you everything. Everything! I loved you better than anybody deserved to be loved, and you threw that away. And for what? A good fuck when you could get it? Don't fucking talk to me about if I loved you. If _you_ loved _me_, we wouldn't be here."

He's still holding his eye, but I can see the tears on his face.

"You _were_ my everything. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I wanted to marry you and have kids and be happy. And the both of you took that away from me."

I can feel the tears streaming down my face, but I don't pay attention to them. I don't even bother to wipe them away.

"Your mistake just cost me everything. I hope you're happy."

He removes his hand and winces.

"Go to hell, Edward. I'm done."

I turn and walk away. I can hear him yelling at me, for me, but I ignore it. He doesn't deserve my time or attention. Not anymore.

I'm still cradling my hand when I walk back through his house. I'm just about at the front door when I hear Esme's heels coming out of the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready, sweetie. Carlisle should be home any minute."

I don't turn around to face her. I'm crying, and I don't want her to see me this way.

"Bella?

I slowly turn around, trying to calm myself and stop my tears.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asks as she rushes to my side.

Her hands flutter over me, not quite touching me as she doesn't know what to do.

"Esme, I'm so sorry," I whisper.

Before she can say anything else, I reach up and hug her.

I hug her hard.

"Thank you for everything you did for me."

"Honey, what—"

And I let her go before she can finish her question.

I open the door, run to my truck, jump in, and take off.

My hand starts to hurt even more as I grip the steering wheel, but it's all I can do to keep from pulling over and sobbing on the side of the road.

Charlie taught me better. He taught me to be strong, to be a person that I can be proud of being.

He taught me to take care of myself.

And I have to do that now. I have to do what's right for me.

And a plan starts to form.

I think over the details on the rest of the drive, and I pray to God that I can pull it off.

Because I… I can't be here and still be OK.

I pull up to the house and see the cruiser in the driveway.

My mind starts to race as I park and make my way inside the house.

"Bella?" he yells from upstairs.

_I'm so sorry, dad._

"It's me."

_I don't want to leave you. _

"Have you had dinner, yet?"

_I want to tell you why, but I can't._

"No."

_It's because of you that I'm doing this._

"Want me to order a pizza or do you want to go out for a burger?"

_You made me strong enough to know that I should do this._

"I can cook if you want."

I hear his footsteps on the stairs, and he smiles when he sees me.

"Come on, kiddo. You hate cooking," he laughs. "So, pizza or drive-thru burger joint?"

He looks so happy.

"Dad, we need to talk."

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><p><strong>I hope it lived up to your expectations. :)<strong>


	3. Dear Bella

__**Thanks be to Ms. EBT and Wench Tkegl.  
><strong>

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><p><em>Dear Bella,<em>

_I know that there isn't anything in the world I can do or say to make what I've done right. I took our friendship and spat on it. I took you, your love, and your trust and treated them with the greatest disrespect. _

_I wish I could put into words how sorry I am. I wish I could put into words how much you mean to me. I wish I could take everything I did and erase it._

_I know you'll probably never forgive me. I know you'll definitely never forget. And I'll forever hate myself for that._

_I never meant to hurt you. I hope you can believe that. _

_I know I don't have the right to, but I miss you. _

_I wish you the best at Brown. I know you'll exceed everyone's expectations, especially your own. I have no doubt that you'll go far in life. You're too special to do anything else._

_I miss you._

_I love you._

_I'm sorry._

_Angela_


	4. Dear Edward

__**Thanks be to Ms. EBT and Wench Tkegl.  
><strong>

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><p><em>Edward,<em>

_I don't know how to start this, so I'll just say what I need to._

_I've spent the summer trying to deal with what we've done. Bella's gone, and that responsibility lies on both our shoulders. _

_I won't say we destroyed Bella, because that makes light of just how strong she is. I will say that we destroyed her love and trust in us. And those two things from someone like Bella are gifts, and we threw them away._

_And for what?_

_I thought what I felt for you was love. I know now that it probably wasn't. And I have to apologize to you for that._

_While we were both equal participants in this, I was the one who started it. I was motivated by what I thought was love. I let what I felt for you cloud my judgment, and it ruined what we both had with Bella. _

_She didn't deserve this, any of this, and we'll carry that with us. _

_But Ben has taught me so much over the past few months, and one of those things is that we're not horrible people. We may have done horrible things and created a horrible situation, but we're human. We make mistakes. The key is to learn from them, to grow. We can't let all of this be for nothing. Otherwise, there is no point to what we did, and Bella deserves more than emptiness._

_I'm sorry._

_Angela_


	5. Win One For The Reaper

**This is one of two outtakes written for Fandom 4 No Kid Hungry. The second part will post next Sunday.**

**Warning: This outtake is Edward's POV of the night he was killed. Graphic content follows. **

**Thanks be to EBT, Tkegl, and JadaPattinson.**

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><p>"Seriously, man. Have you lost your balls?"<p>

"Shut up, Tyler."

I'm half laughing, half annoyed as I cross the street to the deli on the corner.

Tyler's hasn't dropped the subject since he found out I didn't sleep with Kate last night.

"Do we need to get you some little blue pills? Because I can't understand how you can be going out with a chick as hot as Kate and not tap—"

"Be careful of what you say next, man," I interrupt, stopping next to the store's entrance.

Tyler stops talking.

Kate's not just some random chick I picked up at a bar. She's… important. She's my Katie.

"Listen, I know we joke around a lot, but…" I sigh. "Girlfriends are off limits. Don't— don't talk about Kate that way."

"Yeah, sure. I didn't mean anything—" he stutters.

"I know, man. I know," I slightly laugh. "For future reference, Kate doesn't fall under joke material. Not anymore."

Not that she ever did.

I check my watch.

"Alright, fucker. I need junk food and Redbull if I'm going to stay up all night to study for this exam. I'll call you tomorrow."

I hang up and head inside, heading straight for the cooler. I grab a 4-pack of Redbull and debate whether I should grab another but decide against it. While I need to stay awake, I also don't need to crash and burn before I'm done studying.

I see the top of a Funyuns bag and know it's calling my name. As I make my way to the aisle, I notice a pretty redhead on her phone, eyeing the ice cream. She's rolling her eyes and rubbing her pregnant stomach.

"Mom, I don't care what he says. I'm not taking him back."

I'm eavesdropping, and I know it's wrong, but I continue to do it anyway as I decide whether three bags of Funyuns is gluttony.

"I'm not talking about this anymore. I don't coddle cheaters. I don't forgive them, and I don't take them back with open arms. If he wants to be a part of his kid's life, fine."

_Bella_.

For a single second, I freeze. For a single second, I feel guilty and shameful. For a single second, I'm back to being that asshole she loved so long ago.

But then the second passes. Because Bella and I are friends again. We've moved past it. We've moved on. We're OK now.

I finally decide on two bags of Funyuns when the Chewy Chips Ahoy on the other side of pretty pregnant chick starts calling my name.

Just as I'm making my way to them, the electronic beep of the door opening goes off. I look toward the cashier and start making my way to the counter when I remember that I need a new yellow highlighter. I do a half turn, and that's when the shouting begins.

"Put the fucking money on the counter! Now!"

I turn towards the shouting and see two guys with guns. They're pointed at the cashier who has his hands in the air.

My stomach drops.

And I'm absolutely terrified.

I don't know what to do. My body's telling me to run, to run as far as away from this place, but I can't move. Even if I could, there's only one exit, and I'd have to make it past the robbers first.

"Oh, God."

It's a whisper, and I remember that I'm not the only one in the store.

Hoping not to attract any attention, I slowly turn my head to see a wide-eyed, frightened redhead.

I look back toward the cashier, trying to even my breathing. Without looking away, I slowly put left arm out to my side and take a step in the same direction. I feel Redhead's shirt and grab onto it, pulling her to her right so that she's now directly behind me.

The shouting gets louder and louder as the seconds pass.

I can hear Redhead crying, and I want to shush her so the robbers don't direct their attention our way. But I know she's scared and can't help herself. I reach behind me, hoping to calm her in some way, and she instantly grabs my arm. I feel her stomach push up against me, and the lump in my throat gets bigger.

Before I can really come to terms that there's more at stake here than just the adults, the scene before me turns chaotic.

The cashier reaches down and brings up a shotgun. The robbers start yelling and shaking their guns.

Redhead digs her nails into my arm. I know she can't see what's going on, but she can hear it.

Suddenly…

Explosions. Glass breaking. Screaming.

Everything is chaotic, and I want to move, run, hide, but my eyes are fixed on the cashier's chest, watching as bullet after bullet enters it.

_I'm going to die. _

_I may be in love with Kate._

_I don't know if Alice is having a girl or a boy._

_Dad. Mom._

Redhead screams again, and it propels me to move. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the robbers turn to face me, and I know. I just know…

Hoping I don't hurt her, I shove Redhead to my left, pushing her to the other aisle in hopes that she isn't hit. But before I'm able to see how hard I pushed her, I feel burning.

Intense burning.

I can't breathe in.

_I need to talk to Kate. _

My stomach's on fire.

_I'm not going to become a doctor._

It feels as though I'm being ripped apart from the inside out with fire. The flames are—

I'm on my back.

_How did I end up on my back?_

The pain in my stomach is secondary to the new sensation in my chest.

And it feels like I'm… like I'm drowning.

I can't breathe.

_Oh, God. I can't breathe._

This is it.

I know it is, because I know I'm drowning in my own blood.

I can feel it in my throat, keeping me from being able to breathe properly.

I want to panic. I want to cry. I want to beg and plead and live.

Tell Jasper to always take care of my baby sister and that baby.

_Blood. I can taste blood._

Tell Tyler he's a good friend.

Tell Rosalie to take care of Emmett like only she can.

Tell Bella that I'm thankful she forgave me.

Tell Kate everything I've been wanting to tell her but haven't, because I was scared.

_I need air._

Everything but the feeling of blood in my throat and mouth is gone. The burning in my stomach's vanished. The chest pain is gone.

And I know that I have minutes left.

_God, I know I don't have the right to ask, but please look after them. Keep them safe. And help my mom. She's going to need You the most. Remind Dad that I love him very much. Please keep Alice and the baby safe. _

I'm on my last wisp of breath.

_I hope Redhead's OK._

I feel splashes of liquid cover my mouth as I sputter, choke. I can hear the gurgling sound of my own blood. And I can't fight this heaviness anymore.

I close my eyes but can see what I'm taking with me.

Mom making chocolate chip pancakes on Saturday mornings.

Dad telling me it's OK after striking out in the last game of the season.

Alice and Jasper mortified when I walk in on them having sex in the garage.

Bella, Angela, Charlie, and I dressed as Alvin & The Chipmunks.

Tyler playing guitar on the roof of our apartment building as we grill burgers.

Rosalie kicking Emmett's ass after he hit her with a water balloon.

Holding Kate. Tickling Kate. Kissing Kate.

I take them with me.

_It's time…_


	6. Parting Words

**Thanks be to Ms. EBT, Tkegl, and JadaPattinson.**

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><p>"This feels strange."<p>

"I know. You get used to it."

"I can't imagine getting used to it."

"You'll feel differently once it's over."

"And how long will that take?"

"Until you're ready to go."

"What if I'm never ready?"

"You can't stay here forever. We're not meant to."

"I'm not ready. I wasn't ready..."

"Nobody ever really is, but this is your chance to say goodbye, Edward. Say your goodbyes while you're here."

"Will you stay with me, Nana?"

"Always, sweetie."

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><p>I'm in a room. It's quiet. Eerie.<p>

There's only one person here, but he's dressed in scrubs.

The scenario is familiar, but I can't place it just yet.

The phone rings.

"Yes? Yes, I'm ready."

He flips a switch that causes the blinds on a large rectangular window to open.

And that's when I see her.

Katie.

I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but there's a _something _encased in a white bag on a metal table.

All I can do is stand there and watch Katie's face as the man unzips the top portion.

As her eyes well up and her chin trembles.

As the color from her face drains.

As she steps back, fumbles, and nods her head.

"It's him," she says before she bursts into tears.

I don't even have to look.

I know it's my dead body in that bag.

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><p>I can't believe all these people are here. For me.<p>

The church pews are full, the faces of some whom I haven't seen in years.

Dad's co-workers, my high school baseball coach, the girl who used to babysit Alice and me. Bella, Angela, Ben, Emmett, Rosalie, Tyler.

And Kate.

Jasper and Alice are holding on to Mom's hand while Dad stares straight ahead, his expression blank.

The moment Pastor Weber stops speaking, I see movement, a flash of red.

It's Redhead. A healthy-looking, very pregnant Redhead.

_She's fine. The baby's fine._

Her face is stressed, her sobs quiet. She's shaking and distraught.

But she's alive.

She's breathing and unharmed. Her baby is fine.

Knowing that, I don't feel as cheated anymore.

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><p>She takes a deep breath and clutches the blanket Jasper placed over her.<p>

Mom's finally calm, her face no longer full of pain.

I wish I could tell her that I'm fine, that she doesn't have to do this to herself. I know she's grieving, hurting. She loved me more than any other person in this world. Except for maybe Dad.

She was so good to me. She was the mom everyone wanted.

She baked and healed and whispered and disciplined and embarrassed and PTAd and chaperoned and supported and encouraged and loved.

Mom _is _love.

I want to find some way to tell her these things, but I don't have to turn to Nan to know that I can't, that I shouldn't. I should've told her when I could.

I hope she knows.

I hope Dad knows it, too.

He taught me how to swing a baseball bat, drive a car, shave. How he treated Mom was a lesson in how to properly love a woman. How he treated Alice was a lesson in how to properly be a father. How he treated Nan, herself and her memory, was a lesson in how to properly be a son. I learned more from my dad in one day than most kids learn from theirs in a lifetime.

And I know that makes me unbelievably lucky.

I don't know how, but I know it's time to leave her alone. I also know that Dad is about to enter the room from wherever it is he left to earlier. He's going to climb into bed, cry, and hold Mom while she sleeps off the sedation.

"I love you, Mom," I say, wishing she could hear me.

As I walk back toward Nan, I hear it.

"I love you, too, Edward," she mumbles, still asleep.

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><p>"Carlisle's here," Angela says as he hands her a coffee.<p>

"I saw him head upstairs. Any longer and Emmett was heading out to look for him."

I watch as she drinks from her mug while Ben does the same, his eyes never leaving her face.

I don't know why, but it doesn't surprise me that it's the same look he gave her back in high school. Like he's in awe, in love.

I guess some things never change.

Angela stares into her coffee for a few seconds before she speaks.

"Do you think Edward would still be alive if he and I hadn't— You know..."

"Angel, stop it."

Ben immediately puts his drink down, taking her face in his hands.

"How is any of this your fault?" he whispers.

"I don't know," she replies, starting to cry. "If it hadn't happened, then he and Bella would still be together. They would've gone to Dartmouth. They would've gone to grad school together. He wouldn't have been in that deli, because he would've been in a completely different city."

Before Ben can even reply, Bella's taking her hand and pulling her out of her chair.

"We'll be back," she says to Ben.

I follow as Bella leads her outside, stopping at the edge of the backyard where nobody else is standing.

"What's going on with you?"

She's simultaneously pissed off and concerned. I'd recognize that expression anywhere.

"Bella, I don't-"

Angela can't seem to meet Bella's eyes. She's fidgeting and shifting from one foot to another. This isn't the Angela I saw rescue Bella yesterday at the wake. This isn't the Angela Bella always used to tell me about.

This is the Angela I remember from when... Timid, scared.

"Bella, I'm sorry. He'd still be here. He'd be happy," she whispers.

Bella sighs, frustration on her face. She looks back toward the house before she sits on the grass.

"Come on. Let's... hug it out."

It's a phrase I haven't heard in forever, but I know its meaning, its importance. Bella's instituting something they did when they were still best friends, sisters. She's being there now for Angela when she needs her.

It's progress.

The two of them talk and cry and say their apologies. I know they had one of these before in my bedroom, and they had a moment as we watched my body be buried. But it's important they do what's necessary to start becoming friends again, to be there for one another again.

A little under an hour later, they finally stand, wiping grass off their clothes and sniffling.

They hug, and Angela goes back inside, right to a waiting Ben.

Bella takes a few minutes to compose herself. She takes a deep breath, straightens her clothes, and tilts her head back to look at the gray clouds in the sky. She closes her eyes and stays quiet.

"I miss you, Edward."

It's quieter than a whisper, but I know I heard her correctly when she opens her eyes and smiles.

Suddenly, she's being watched. I know, because I can feel it.

And I know who it is without having to look toward the doorway.

He flew here to be with her, to be here for her. She's surprised but grateful. The smile on her face says it all, and I know she's happy.

And by the way she hugs him, I know she'll stay that way.

It makes it easier to go knowing that fact.

* * *

><p>"Alice, calm down," he whisper yells. "And put the banana down!"<p>

"You promised me ice cream, Jasper. Do you really wanna fuck with my hormones right now?"\

"I didn't do it on purpose. I forgot!"

Alice stops, her face in utter shock, and Jasper groans, because he knows he's just said something to piss her off. She's wearing her patented "Oh, no, you didn't" face.

"You forgot? What if I just happened to forget to pop this kid out? Oh, wait. I can't! I have a duty to squeeze your kid out of a place that will stretch out and make you not wanna touch me ever again just like your duty is to buy the damn ice cream that keeps me from throwing this banana at you!"

And she throws the banana at him.

She takes a seat on one of the island stools and starts sobbing.

Jasper waits to approach Alice, his fear evident in his eyes, but finally puts his arms around her when she grabs his shirt and pulls him in.

"I'm sorry," she cries into his shirt.

It breaks me to say my baby sister this way.

"My body isn't my own anymore. This kid wants ice cream. I can't help it. Please don't be mad at me."

She sobs louder into his shirt, and he strokes her hair, shushing her.

"It's OK, baby. I'm not mad. I know he's not making it easy on you, but you have to try and stay calm. I don't want you ending up in the hospital again."

_He? Alice is having a boy? I'm going to have a nephew?_

I'm elated and devastated at the same time. She's having a little boy, and I won't be around to see him. There's going to be a little mini-Jasper or mini-Alice running around, and I won't be a part of it. He'll be the best part of both of them, and I won't be there to witness it first hand.

But I know that Jasper will take care of Alice and the baby. I know that the three of them will remain happy for the rest of their lives. I just _know_. And that's all that's really important.

Because Alice deserves it all.

* * *

><p>I watch as she talks to Dad. I watch as she checks up on Mom. I watch as she easily becomes friends with Bella. I watch as Alice tells her my most embarrassing moments.<p>

I watch her beautiful face take it all in.

I watch her laugh and cry, smile and frown.

All I want to do is hold her hand, tease her about her ears she thinks are too big. I want to hug her, kiss her stomach. I want to fall asleep together while watching a bad movie she picked out, learn something new every day.

I should've told her how I felt, but I can't do anything about it now.

I could spend eternity regretting this and wondering about that. I could spend forever full of doubt and wishing away mistakes. But my relationship with Kate is better than that. It's too important to me to allow it to become something negative.

She's sitting in a corner of the living room by herself. One of Mom's many photo albums is in her lap. This particular one is of my high school days.

Baseball games, Homecoming King, camping with the guys, Disneyworld the summer before my sophomore year, cheering from the bleachers at Alice's volleyball games, the water balloon fight Rosalie and Emmett started with the next door neighbor's kids.

She's going through some of the best times of my life.

* * *

><p>Those who aren't staying with my parents have left. Those who are have gone to bed, and the house quiet.<p>

Nan left me to do this part on my own.

I stand in the kitchen, living room, Dad's study.

These rooms used to scare me when I was little and all of the lights were out. Now, I take in each feature, each characteristic that makes it special to me:

Mom's apron in the kitchen.

Alice's Disney DVD collection in the living room.

Dad's stethoscope strewn on his desk.

They're little things, but they're special to me.

I know I don't need to, that I can simply will myself there, but I climb the stairs to the second floor where my family is sleeping.

I head into Mom and Dad's room first. I've already said my goodbye to Mom, and Dad and I always had a rule about never saying the word "Goodbye." It was always "Be seeing ya" with us.

So, I hang out at the foot of the bed and watch them for a few seconds, and I turn to leave.

"Bye," I whisper.

Because Mom is Mom, I know she heard me. I don't know how she does – maybe it's a mom thing – but I turn to leave before she can respond.

"Be seeing ya, kiddo."

I guess dads have that same ability, too.

* * *

><p>I'm in Alice's room, not surprised to find her fully awake. She's sitting up against the headboard as Jasper snores away with his head in her lap. She's rubbing her stomach and groaning.<p>

"Go to sleep," she says to her stomach. "I'm exhausted. How are you not exhausted, too?"

Jasper shifts a little, but his arm around Alice's waist doesn't budge.

It's the only thing I need to see to really know that my baby sister and her son will be OK.

"I know you're here," she suddenly whispers.

I freeze, because there's no way she could be talking about me.

"I can't… I can't see you, but I can feel you."

Quiet.

"I miss you so much already, Edward," she whispers, fresh tears on her face.

There's a long silence in the room, and I decide it's better to go than to do something, though I don't know what, to let Alice know that she's right. It'll make things more difficult on her to know that I _am_ here. I don't want her to forget me, but I need her to let go.

And with that, I leave Alice to her family.

* * *

><p>I knew Mom would insist on having Kate stay at the house instead of a hotel room. For a split second, I wonder if she'd sleep in my bedroom or in the guest bedroom, but I know that sleeping in my room would be strange for her, for everyone.<p>

That and the pull I feel toward the last room at the end of the hall let me know that Kate's in the guest bedroom.

She's awake, the bedside lamp on, and going through her suitcase. She looks exhausted but absolutely beautiful. She stands and heads into the bathroom, coming out in sleep pants and a plain t-shirt. Her hair's in a ponytail, and she's washed her face clean of the day's make-up.

She takes my breath away.

She moves the suitcase from her bed to the floor and crawls into bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She sighs as she turns off the lamp.

She adjusts herself and then stills.

Because I know her so well already, I wait for it. And when she starts sniffling, I know it's only the beginning of a long session of tears.

She cries into her pillow for almost an hour, and I can do nothing but watch. It makes my soul ache to know that she's in so much pain, but it also makes my heart whole to know that she cared about me so much.

Her tears, her being here…

After she quiets down and finally falls asleep, I kneel next to her bed and take in her face. I know I need to say what I need to say and go back to Nana before I convince myself to stay here for eternity, to go against what's meant for me.

"I'm so sorry, Katie. I'm sorry that you're hurting. I'm sorry I can't do anything to make it stop. But I'm mostly sorry that we never got to find out if this was the real thing between us. I… I think it was."

She moves and readjusts, and all I can do is marvel at her simple beauty, remember the good in her heart.

"I could've loved you so much…"

And I know it's true. I was on my way there when I left this Earth.

I stay in the same position for a long while, memorizing every aspect of her face. It's not until I see the sunlight starting to peek through the curtains and I feel Nana's presence that I know I've stayed too long.

_It's time to go._

I step away from the bed, inching my way backward until I know Nana's beside me again.

"Are they going to be OK?" I ask her.

"You know I can't answer that, Edward."

"I know. I just wish you could," I whisper. "I need them to be OK, Nana."

"We'll peek in on them from time to time. The good part about the bad part is that you'll see them again soon enough," she smiles sadly.

I nod, preparing myself to finally leave.

"Do you think they know how much I love them?"

Nana doesn't say anything, because she doesn't have to. I know the answer. And I also know that I was lucky in life. I was never left wanting for anything, especially love. Blessed.

I could never be anything but grateful for the life I had.

"I'm ready, Nana," I say, looking at her always familiar face. "Let's go home."

* * *

><p><strong>The titles from these F4NKH outtakes were taken from the LOST season one score. <strong>

**Thank you for staying with me throughout it all. You're truly amazing.** **:)**


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